Materials Needed: Toothpicks, Paper, Small tube of toothpaste 1 per group, breath mint (one per person)
Explain that this session’s focus is on Respect. Start by asking these three questions to the large group:
How does respect look?
How does respect sound?
How does respect feel? Allow for five minutes of discussion. 3 groups member volunteers can write down answers in each category on chart paper. Make sure to include how respectful words can make someone feel good, the tone of something respectful, facial expressions, body language etc.
Divide the large group into groups of 5. Everyone must introduce themselves. Give each small group a piece of paper, tube of toothpaste, and a toothpick.
Tell the small groups that they each have 2 min to write the letter “R” on their paper with the toothpaste only.
After 2 min stop the groups, and share with them that a bully is now among us. Someone who has not been respectful to his peers, making rude comments and gestures. Tell the groups that the toothpaste now represents these hurtful words vs. respectful words. There job is to now “take back” those hurtful words and put the toothpaste back in the tube. They may not use any other tools than the toothpick. Give them 2 min to try.
At the end of two minutes stop them. Discuss as a whole group how far they got and why this was a difficult task. (Have the adults help throw the materials away so it won’t distract during discussion) Words hurt, and it’s impossible to take “disrespectful, hurtful” words back. This serves as an excellent visual demonstration of the power of words because in the end, it’s very messy.
Watch the Words Hurt video (3 min) Words are Worse than Sticks and Stones
Reminder to students that it is up to each of us to control our words and our actions, as there may be many like this student Alye among us
Goal: Respect
Materials Needed: Toothpicks, Paper, Small tube of toothpaste 1 per group, breath mint (one per person)
Watch the Words Hurt video (3 min) Words are Worse than Sticks and Stones
Reminder to students that it is up to each of us to control our words and our actions, as there may be many like this student Alye among us
Follow up video that Alye made, one year later: Words Hurt One Year Later
Give everyone a breath mint as a leave as a reminder to brush up on respectful words, and make sure what comes out of your mouth is clean!!